Throughout the 40s and beyond, Alfred Hitchcock cited Shadow of a Doubt as his favorite film of hois own work. It's easy to see why. This film is a powerful statement about the elemental chaos that surrounds us. Hugely influential with the film nor of the 40s and 50s.

This movie may start out similarly to many other 40's films, but Joseph Cotten's uncharacteristic creepiness brings this film a sense of dread not seen in american cinema until in the 70's. Uncle Charlie is more comparable to Travis Bickle than to any of Hitchcock's often confused, tragic characters, and this is where the films strength lies.

Of course, all of Hitchcock's films are immaculately directed; but this film is almost kafkaesque in its embrace of the psycopath. That this is Hitchcock's favorite comes as no surprise--its darkness is almost overwhelming.

Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten give good, solid performances in this Hitchcock thriller. Hitchcock evidently said this was his favorite movie:

Charlie (Teresa Wright) plays a young woman who "hero worships" her namesake: Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten).

Young Charlie feels her life in idyllic Santa Rosa, Ca. is boring/humdrum...she commiserates with her father - stating nothing ever happens to their family. She decides to send a telegram to her favorite Uncle asking him to visit. Coincidentally, Uncle Charlie has already sent a telegram stating he is coming for an extended stay. Young Charlie thinks this is another sign that her and her Uncle are on the same wave length as far as their thinking and attitudes. She even states at one pt. that they are like twins. Unbeknownst to the young woman, her Uncle is not what he seems...he has come to Santa Rosa to escape the police who are searching for him - he is a suspect in the killing of several wealthy widows.

The tension mounts as young Charlie comes to realize her Uncle is not as he appears. She fears for her familys' safety. More importantly, you see her struggle as she comes to grips with the knowledge that Uncle Charley is not the fine, upstanding man she thinks he is. You feel for young Charlie as she realizes her Uncle has severe flaws in character and thinking...and if they are alike - than does that mean she is flawed? Is her judgement in people flawed, since she thought so much of her Uncle?

Several great character actors make appearances in this film. Hume Cronyn, Henry Travers (famous for his portrayal of Clarence the Angel in "Its a Wonderful Life), Macdonald Carey and Patricia Collinge give fine performances. Charlie's father played by Henry Travers and Hume Cronyn (next door neighbor) savor their hobby of reading and solving/planning each other's murders - not realizing there is a real murderer in the house. This juxtaposition of a harmless hobby: plotting ea. other's deaths and psychopath Uncle Charlie's attempts to kill his niece make for an interesting study.

Best Hitchcock film, best American movie, best satire, best thriller, best snapshot of small town Americana, best insight into the underside of everyday life, best existential American film.

Breathtakingly written, breathtakingly photographed, breathtakingly acted, breathtakingly directed, breathtakingly brilliant. It never palls.

A true Classic.

One of the greatest movies of all time!

Featured are two excellent, albeit, greatly underrated actors -- Joseph Cotton and Theresa Wright.

The casting of the movie is spot-on, with every single role, even the very small parts, *perfectly* cast.

Hitchcock is famous for having once said that actors are just so much cattle. I find that hard to believe -- not hard to beleive that he said but, rather, hard to believe he meant it. There are any number of actors who have done their best work in Hitchcock films: Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Martin Balsam, Anthony Perkins; and of course Joseph Cotton and Theresa Wright.

From what I gather, quality actors longed to be in a Hitchcok movie because they had great confidence in him. He knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. Such confidence in a director must give the entire acting ensemble a tremendous amount of confidence as well; actors, famous or otherwise, being notoriously insecure.

Notice in "Shadow of a Doubt," as is true in all of Hitchcock's movies,
how Hitchcok shocks and frightens and intrigues and mesmerized, but with a minimum of so-called "action." Meaning: no car chases, no shoot 'em ups, no bombastic violence.

Even the famous shower scene in "Psycho" is shot-for-shot all referential. We see the knife, we see Janet Leigh's face, we see the blood, the shower curtain falling -- but we don't see these things in a graphic, haphazard, unstylized way. Violence in a movie, if it's stylized as well as "visually indirect," becomes something other than violence. Put another way: everything flows form the director and the actors, the FX crew is marginalized.

Here's the bottom line for "Shadow of a Doubt." ... If you don't like this movie, pilgrim, then turn in your popcorn coupon. This is a good as it gets.